Dentist&#39;s saliva ejector



Nov. 14, 1939. J. M. LEMPERT 2,l80,249

DENTISTS SALIVA EJECTOR Filed March 29, 1958 Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES @PATENT OFFICE DEN'ns'rs sALlvA EJEc'roR 1 Jack Mortinflerv Lampert, Rockville centre, N. Y.

Application March 29, 1938, Serial No. 198,780

vs claims. (ol. .e2-33') i disclosed the saliva ejector to be used on the construction which permits the use of brous absorbing material to collect the saliva very quickyly, and which absorbent material under the influence of the vacuum remains absorbent for the saliva .over a long period of time.

Another feature of the present invention is the construction of the receptacle which permits the absorbent material to be changed easily and with dispatch.

' A further feature of the present invention is to provide an opening longitudinally of the receptacle in the compartment thereof, of such shape that when the compartment is charged with the brous absorbing material, the sharp edges of the receptacle along the opening will be coveredby a protecting flange when thefibrous material is compressed, thereby insuring that the patients mouth will not be injured.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a metal receptacle part so constructed that when inserted in the patients mouth, it definitely prevents the tongue from interfering or obstructing the working area and gives the operator a clear and undisturbed area in which to perform his Work.

Another feature of the present invention is the construction of the receptacle part of the ejector 40 in a tubular shape which keeps and protects the cotton roll so as to prevent the possibility of the dentists instruments or drills from coming in contact with the cotton rolls, which latter are kept stationary and in place in the patients mouth.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character referred to that is strong, compact and durable, thoroughly reliable for its intended purpose, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and use. y y A1With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawingz wherein is right-hand side of the mouth looking at the pay tient, but it is to be understood that changes,

variations, and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the claims l5 hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 shows the mouth portion of a human .10 being in' open position having a saliva ejector constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on the right-hand side .of the mouth looking at the patient.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the ejector show- Il5 'ing the wad of fibrous absorbing material being extracted from the receptacle and illustrating the ridges formed by compressing the brous material in its receptacle.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary portion .of the ejector l:20 having parts thereof broken away.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the ejector looking toward the receptacle por` tion of the ejector. I l

It is pointed out in the beginning that it will 25 Vvbe necessary to use two diflerentsaliva ejectors constructed in accordance with the present invention for each side of the patients mouth.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawing is for the right-hand side of the patients 30 mouth. The reason the one ejector could not be used on both sides is because the arch in the stem is offset rearwardly so as to straddle the teeth.

It will be obvious that if the one ejector illustrated were turned around, the offset arch would prog35 ject forwardly and would not serve its purpose.

`Referring to the drawing in detail, A indicates the mouth of the patient in open position in which it is .operated upon by the dentist. The

receptacle part B of the ejector is curved longi- .40

tudinally to conform with the bottom of the mouth against which the receptacle rests when the ejector is in position. The receptacle part of the ejector fits transversely across the bottom of the mouth of the patient in the area of the molars 4 45 and bicuspids as shown in Fig. 1. The receptacle B is substantially tubular in cross section and is open at 5 on its free end. The receptacle B is formed with a slotl or opening 6 which extends longitudinally thereof for about one-half of the E 59 length thereof. This slotted portion of the receptacle B forms the compartment for receiving jthe fibrous absorbing material to be Presently described. The width of the slot or opening is -about one quadrant ofthe circumference of the ,55

,40 cross section.

receptacle. The end of the receptacle .opposite to the open end is closed by the tapering part to form a vacuum chamber I which communicates with the opening compartment. The vacuum 5 chamber 'I is about one-half the length of the receptacle B.

It will be seen that the receptacle part B of the ejector when in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing will form a guard or abutment to hold the tongue away from the teeth so the dentist .will have suflicient room to work on the teeth, while at the same time, the receptacle will be out of the way of the instruments used by the dentist. A iibrous roll or wad 8 of absorbing material, preferably absorbent cotton, compressed by the lingers, is inserted in the open end 5 of the tube and slid along the compartment of the receptacle in compressed relation until the leading end thereof forms a closure for the vacuum chamber 1. Since cotton and other fibrous absorbing material is easily compressed for charging the receptacle, when the pressure is released therefrom, a portion of the cotton will eX- tend out of the slot 6, while the remaining threeing flange about the slot. In Fig. 2 of the drawing, this protecting flange is indicated at 9, where the roll 0r wad of cotton is shown in the act of being removed from its receptacle after once having been used.

The ejector of the present invention further includes a stem portion C which is tubular in The stem consists of a straight portion I Il, the lower free end of which is adapted to be secured to the conventional suction hose II. The straight portion merges with the offset arched portion I2 and where they merge, the-re is an angle indicated at I3. It will thus be seen that the arch of the stem is offset rearwardly as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

'Ihe other end of the arch portion is preferably formed integral with the crown of the receptacle B and merges therewith intermediate the end of the receptacle. The passage I4 in the stem portion communicates with the vacuum chamber I of the receptacle as shown particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing so that suction from the stem creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber to withdraw saliva collected in the fibrous absorbing material 8. The straight part I0 of the stem portion 6 is of suflicient length so that it will accommodate the width of the hand of the patient, it being the purpose of making the straight portion so that the patient may hold the ejector in a position after the dentist has placed it in the correct area.

The end of the arch part I2 is joined to the crown of the receptacle B in the vacuum chamber by a soldered joint I5. The receptacleI B and stem C are formed of metal such as steel or brass, plated to resist corrosion; orv they may be made of aluminum. The stem C is preferably joined to the crown of the receptacle to one side of the longitudinal center so as to communicate with the vacuum chamber I. It will be seen that the bow in the arch I2 is directed upwardly and the bow of the curve of the receptacle is directed downwardly. Since the slot or opening 6 is located along the bottom segment of the receptacle B, which presses against the bottom of the mouth of the patient to collect the saliva, that accumulates there, it will also be seen that the walls of the receptacle protect the absorbent material from becoming entangled with the dental instruments. The ejector of the present invention is rigid.

There are many advantages in my invention over other known saliva ejectors used in the dental profession. In my ejector the fibrous absorbing material is held firmly in position in the chamber of the receptacle and will not be displaced after it has become saturated with saliva which often occurs in those saliva ejectors where the absorbent material has no conning chamber other than a clamp. The provision of the absorbent material chamber enables a protecting iiange of absorbent material to be compressed about the sharp edges of the slot or mouth of the receptacle to prevent the sharp edges of the receptacle from injuring the mouth of the patient, whereas in certain types of ejectors, the sharp edges of the saliva-collecting bowl bear on the mouth of the patient and cause discomfort. It is unnecessary in my ejector to use any kind of a clamp or other holding device to grip the chin or other parts of the patient to hold it in position, as is customary in some ejectors, be-

cause the straight portion Ii) of the stem permits the patient to grasp the stem and hold it in position himself, exerting only suchv pressure as will be most comfortable to the patient.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a saliva ejector, an elongated metallic receptacle that is curved longitudinally, one end of said receptacle being open, the other end being closed, a vacuum chamber arranged at the closed end of the receptacle, the bottom of the receptacle being formed with a slot that extends from the open end of the rece-ptacle to the open end of the vacuum chamber, said ejector adapted to hav-e an absorbent material inserted through the open end of the receptacle to ill the slotted portion of said receptacle, the inner end of the absorbent material extending into the open end of the vacuum chamber, and a. saliva discharge tube extending from' the top of the vacuum chamber.

2. In a saliva ejector, an elongated metallic receptacle that is curved longitudinally, one end of said receptacle being open, the other end being closed, a vacuum chamber arranged at the closed end of the receptacle, the bottom of the receptacle being formed with a slot that extends from the open end of the receptacle to the open end of thefvacuum chamber, said ejector adapted to have an absorbent material inserted through the open end of the receptacle to iill the slotted portion of said receptacle, the inner end of the absorbent material extending into the open end of the vacuum chamber, and a saliva discharge tube extending from the top of the vacuum chamber, the exposed portion of the absorbent material when fitted in the receptacle having its longitudinal edge portions overlying the respective side edges of the slot in the receptacle.

3. A dentists saliva ejector comprising an elongated tubular stem portion, said stem portion having a straight part of suicient length to accommodate the width of the hand so the patient may grip the same and hold the ejector in position, said stem portion further having an arched part merging at one end with one end of the straight portion, the other end of the straight portion adapted for connection to a suction hose, a curved receptacle equipped for holding brous absorbent material connected with the other end of the arched part of the stem, said curved receptacle being tubular in cross section closed at onev end. to provide a vacuum chamber andv open at the other end, and a longitudinal slot in the lower segment of the circumference of o the receptacle to permit the absorbent material to protrude over'the edges of the slot.

JACK MORTIMER LENIPERT. 

